Nearly 1,000 recalled criminals still at large

Almost 1,000 criminals who should have been returned to prison because they breached the terms of their release are still at large, figures revealed today.

The Ministry of Justice said 954 offenders recalled before March this year had not been returned to jail by the end of last month.

The total included 72 robbers, 19 murderers and 12 rapists.

There are still some offenders who were recalled to custody up to 25 years ago but are still on the run, the figures showed.

A total of 19 offenders recalled between 1984 and 1999 had not been returned to prison by last month.

The figures, which cover offenders in England and Wales, also showed that nearly 150 were on the loose despite police being told to re-arrest them more than five years ago.

Some 142 offenders recalled between January 1999 and March 2004 are still at large.

Provisional figures for the last financial year show that more than 400 criminals who should have been behind bars were not found.

And every year since 2007 thousands more were not returned to custody within target timescales.

It is the first time data on offenders released from prison and recalled but not returned to custody have been released.

Of the 612 criminals still at large by June last year but not yet in jail, 99 were originally convicted of violent crimes.

That includes 32 convicted of causing GBH, 19 murderers and three with offences for assaulting police officers.

Some 26 were sexual offenders, including five paedophiles, eight with indecent assault records and 12 rapists.

The remainder include 72 robbers, 60 burglars, and 122 with drug offences.

The Ministry of Justice said details of the offences committed by the 342 who should have been returned to prison in the last 12 months were not immediately available.

Offenders are recalled to prison if they breach the terms of their release - such as by committing further crimes, or not meeting their probation officer.

Most criminals who serve sentences of 12 months or more are automatically released at the half point of their sentence.

They are "on licence", meaning there are conditions they must comply with to stay out of prison while finishing the rest of their sentence.

Police must find 75% of recalled prisoners classified as "emergency" cases within 74 hours.
Three-quarters of "standard" recalls should be completed within six days.

But in 2007/08 only 59% of recalls were completed by police within the target time. That means 5,307 criminals were not back in jail when they should have been.

In the last financial year, the figure was 65%, meaning 4,499 were not returned to prison within target times.

Recalls begin with the Probation Service, which passes notices to the National Offender Management Service (Nomx), which manages prisons and probation, before they are sent to the police.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman defended the performance on recalls as "creditable" and said police had an "action plan" in place to deal with outstanding cases.

A spokesman said: "The largest majority of reasons for recall in this data are for being out of touch with their probation officer.

"If the recall is for a serious offender who poses a high risk, an emergency recall is issued and the police have a target of 74 hours to return the offender to custody."

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: "The recall system works well - of those recalled between 1999 and June 2008, just 0.7% of offenders have not been apprehended.

"But we are far from complacent, and recognise that the system has to be strengthened further, not least in respect of those serious offenders who remain at large.

"The audit that was completed recently and now the regular statistical publications are part of the further toughening of the regime."

Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said: "The whole point of releasing prisoners on licence is that they can be monitored and returned to prison if they breach.

"The public will be shocked that the Government has lost track of almost 1,000 criminal fugitives - including murderers, paedophiles and sex offenders.

"Labour's reckless early release scheme and lax approach to probation is putting the public at greater risk.

"Cuts to frontline probation services will only make this situation even worse."

The Liberal Democrats demanded ministers come to Parliament to explain the situation.

Justice spokesman David Howarth said: "Rather than slipping these figures out hoping no one will notice, ministers should come to Parliament and explain why nearly a thousand recalled prisoners are being allowed to run free.

"The Government's failed prison policy, which has left our prisons bursting at the seams, has led to thousands of prisoners being let out early.

"Ministers claim these offenders can be recalled at any time, but worryingly, some have managed to evade justice for up to a quarter of a century.

"The Government should focus on reducing the prison population by treating drug addicts and the mentally ill in more appropriate accommodation.

"That would leave room for the thousand on-the-run prisoners who should really be in prison."

Following the review by officials, every police force was sent a list of criminals from their area not returned to custody and urged to renew their efforts to find those still at large.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) told forces to take "priority action" to urgently arrest sexual and violent offenders.

Acpo enforcement lead ACC Terry Sweeney said offenders were recalled to custody "as speedily as possible".

"The police service works tirelessly to take dangerous people off the streets and bring them before the courts.

"When offenders are released on licence and then recalled, we will do all we can to return them to custody once again.

"Over the past 16 years, almost 99% of recalled offenders have been successfully apprehended and returned to prison.

"The police response is intelligence-led and proportionate to the risk of harm offenders pose.

"Where individuals are not returned to custody immediately, all forces will keep their cases under active review.

"This is not just an issue for the police. It's important for all agencies to work together to improve processes and ensure the best standards in public protection are achieved."

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, the probation union, said the figures were of "real concern".

He said "chasing warrants" should be a priority for the police.

"It is of real concern that nearly one thousand offenders who have been recalled to custody have gone missing.

"Many pose a threat to the public. However the numbers will only be reduced if chasing warrants becomes a priority for the police - which won't happen - or additional resources are made available for the probation and police services."

A Downing Street spokesman said that today's figures should be viewed in perspective.

"Ten times as many offenders are being recalled to prison each year under what is a much tougher recall regime," the spokesman told a regular daily briefing of Westminster reporters.

"Only about 10,000 were recalled in the 15 years 1984 to 1999, when the system was court-based. Since then, 92,000 have been recalled.

"The recall system, broadly, works well. Just under 1% of those recalled between 1999 and June 2008 haven't been apprehended.

"That doesn't mean we are complacent. It means we set in place measures to make that system even stronger, not least in respect of those serious offenders who are still at large. The figures released today are part of strengthening the system."

Of the 342 criminals recalled between July 2008 and the end of March 2009 but are still on the run, there were 59 violent offenders including one convicted murderer, and 26 sexual offenders including three rapists.

Three were convicted arsonists. There were also 80 burglars and 40 robbers.